Published Jun 30, 2014

Indianapolis, IN, USA - Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with significant economic and humanistic burden. The condition presents a real challenge in Asia, which accounts for more than 60% of individuals with DM, globally. In the study, “The Health Technology Assessment Environment in Mainland China, Japan, South Korea, And Taiwan – Implications for the Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus Therapies,” references were made to important assessment considerations for DM therapies which should assist stakeholders in choosing which data to capture, and what approaches to use, when evaluating treatment options. Through two advisory board discussions with thought leaders from each country and a literature review, the researchers examined the present use and predicted evolution of health technology assessment (HTA) with respect to pricing and reimbursement of drugs in mainland China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The researchers discovered that several elements are meaningful and impactful for HTA across the countries studied, including: a transparent analytical framework for HTA that includes all relevant costs/outcomes; availability of local DM epidemiologic, economic, and quality-of-life data; acceptance of modeling as a core methodology; availability of real-world patient data; and recognition of specific evidence requirements associated with biosimilars. “Health technology assessment has the potential to assist payers in making informed decisions about the coverage of DM medications.” says Dr. Manny Papadimitropoulos, PhD, RPh, MSc, director of HTA Emerging Markets at Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, USA.

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